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Education in singapore
Education in Singapore focuses on streaming students into different tracks starting in primary school. The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is used to sort students into streams like Special, Express, Normal Academic or Normal Technical based on their exam results. This early streaming has received criticism for being too rigid and focusing only on academics, though supporters argue it trains students according to their abilities. Recent reforms aim to increase creativity, allow more flexibility between streams, and refine the streaming system.
Education in singapore
- 1. Education in SingaporeFocusPoint: Streaming
- 2. OutlineEducation in SingaporeStreamingin EducationCriticismSupportersRefinements
- 3. Pre-Primary EducationProvide aStructured 3-Year Pre School education programs Consists of Nursery , Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2These are privately operated
- 4. Primary EducationIt isa structured 6 years educationFour year Foundation StageTwoyear Orientation StageIn orientation stage , streamed into Higher , Standard and Foundation levels.Primary education is compulsory and free
- 5. Primary School LeavingExaminationEnd of Primary 6 , PSLE is heldThe education is to check whether the student has passed Primary levelThe Exam is used to stream students into “Special", "Express", "Normal (Academic)", or "Normal (Technical)"
- 6. Special and ExpressStreamFour-year course leading up to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘O‘( Ordinary) Level examinationSpecial Stream students take ‘Higher Mother tongue ‘Express students take ‘ Normal Mother tongue’
- 7. Normal (Technical andAcademic)Normal(Academic) : Prepare to take O-LevelNormal(Technical) : Take Subjects of a more Technical nature
- 8. Post-SecondarySit for SingaporeanGCE ‘O’ Level Result determines which Pre-University or Post Secondary
- 9. CriticismWidespread criticism fromparentsCreative aspect absentExcessive educational streaming at a young age
- 10.
- 11. SupportersStudents Trained accordingto their capabilitiesSuch a small nation needs highly trained citizens Produced Top achieversBrought Down Drop out rates
- 12. RefinementsGreater focus onCreative and Critical ThinkingAbility for students to switch between streams
Editor's Notes
- #2 Hi,My name is AnirudhNarla and I would be applying for the Post of Producer in the MIT-Gambit Summer ProgramThe topic of discussion will be on the Education in Singapore focusing primarily on Streaming. Streaming, or the separation of students into different categories (‘streams’) is a prominent feature of the Singapore education system18
- #3 The outline for our presentation will be as followsI will present to you a very broad overview about the Education in SingaporeThen I will discuss the Streaming Process in the Singapore Education Criticism Supporters of the education systemThen the Refinements brought about by the govt27
- #4 We are now going to discuss the Singapore Education SystemIt starts of with Pre-Primary Education Kindergartens are ‘schools’ that provide a structured 3-year pre-school. The 3-year program consists of Nursery, Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2.They are privately operated , 22
- #5 Primary education, normally starting at age seven, is a four-year foundation stage (Primary 1 to 4) , The four years, from primary 1 to 4, provide a foundation of the subjects. In the two-year orientation stage (Primary 5 to 6) pupils are streamed into their subjects and their difficulty level at Higher /standard / foundation level. Higher obviously being of a higher level and Foundation having the basic level. Primary education is compulsory and free35
- #6 At the end of Primary 6, the national Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is held. The examination determines whether the student is ready to leave primary schoolThe exam streams students into Streams namely “Special” , “Express” “Normal (Academic)” , Normal(Technical)23
- #7 20
- #8 Normal is a four-year course leading up to a Normal-level (N-level) exam, with the possibility of a fifth year followed by an O-level. Normal is split into Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical).while in Normal (Academic) students are prepared to take the O-level exam In Normal (Technical), students take subjects of a more technical nature, such as Design and Technology, 35
- #9 Upon completion of the 4- or 5-year secondary school education, students will participate in the annual Singaporean GCE 'O' Level, the results of which determine which pre-universities or post-secondary institutions they may apply for.18
- #10 Critics of the education system, including some parents, state that the education system is too specialised, rigid, and elitist.Often, these criticisms state that there is little emphasis on creative thinking, unlike education systems in other societies, such as those in the westThere have been complaints about excessive educational streaming at a young age22
- #11 A popular local film, I Not Stupid, highlights the competitiveness of the system and the social stigma that students struggling with studies have to face. The best students are streamed into the best and normal classes, while the others are streamed into the foundation class, where teachers usually allow them to get worse, since they are part of the "ungifted" class.21
- #12 Supporters of the system assert that the provision of differentiated curricula according to streams has allowed students with different abilities and learning styles to develop and sustain an interest in their studies. The rationale behind streaming is to allow the system to cater best to the needs of each student according to his or her academic ability, preventing a scenario where the best students are bored by a standard curriculum, and the weakest students struggle to passThose defending the current education system point out that Singaporean students have regularly ranked top when competing in international science and mathematics competitions and assessments. This ability-driven education has since been a key feature behind Singapore's success in education, and was responsible for bringing drop-out rates down sharply.44
- #13 In response to such concerns the Ministry of Education has recently introduced a greater focus on creative and critical thinking, and on learning for life-long skills rather than simply learning to excel in examinationsIn recent years, while streaming still exists, various refinements to the policy have been made. There is now greater flexibility for students to cross over different streams or take subjects in other streams, which alleviates somewhat the stigma attached to being in any single stream. 30